Senator Warren presses Fed chair nominee Warsh to clarify Epstein interactions

* Warren seeks clarity on Warsh's Epstein connections

* Warsh's nomination faces scrutiny amid Epstein links

* Warsh's Fed chair prospects uncertain amid Fed investigations

By Michael S. Derby

March 19 (Reuters) - The top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee is demanding that Kevin Warsh, tapped by President Donald Trump to become the next Federal Reserve chair, explain what if any relationship he had with the late convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.

In a letter sent to Warsh on Wednesday evening, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts sought clarifications after Warsh's name appeared in documents related to Epstein released by the government earlier this year. Epstein died in prison in 2019.

Noting Warsh's name appeared in communications by Epstein employees about a holiday party on the Caribbean island of St. Barth?lemy in 2010, Warren wrote: "It is unclear whether and to what extent you interacted with Mr. Epstein in association with the invitation referenced in this email exchange."

"As the Senate considers your nomination to serve as Chair of the Fed, it is essential that Congress and the public fully understand the extent of any interactions or relationship you had with Jeffrey Epstein," Warren wrote. She noted the communications that included Warsh's name appeared at a time when Epstein had already been convicted of sex crimes with a minor, and as he faced civil lawsuits over similar issues.

Warren, the ranking minority member of the Senate Banking Committee that will vet Warsh's nomination, requested Warsh respond by March 31 to eight questions detailing possible interactions between him and Epstein and others associated with him.

Warsh did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Warren's letter.

Warsh is a former Fed governor whose marriage connects him to the fortune of the Lauder family. He was tapped by Trump to succeed current Chair Jerome Powell when his term ends in May.

Warren asked Warsh to confirm whether he'd traveled to the island of St. Barth?lemy in late 2010 or early 2011, and whether he'd attended any social functions where Epstein was present. Warren also asked Warsh to confirm whether he'd been in the presence of Ghislaine Maxwell, a close Epstein confidante now in prison.

The letter also asked if Trump, who was once associated with Epstein and who appeared extensively in the government document release, was in attendance at any of these gatherings.

Warren asked Warsh to provide any communications with others associated directly with Epstein, and to detail any other interactions with Epstein or Maxwell not noted in the files thus far made available by the government.

The timeline for Warsh's confirmation is already unclear. A criminal investigation into the Fed and current Fed Chair Jerome Powell has prompted Republican Senator Thom Tillis to say he will block the confirmation until that probe is resolved.

On Wednesday, Powell said he'd stay on as Fed chair until a successor had been confirmed and would not leave the Fed altogether while the Justice Department investigates him. (Reporting by Michael S. Derby; Editing by Dan Burns and Diane Craft)